Memory - Williams 1 Darryl Williams Cheryl Moreland PSY...

Williams 1 Darryl Williams Cheryl Moreland PSY 201-07 6 April 2010 Stages of Memory Memory is one of those essential things that one must have and utilize to adequately become a functioning member of society. Memory allows a person to complete tasks ranging from the simplest of things such as remembering right from left, to more complex doings such as solving a math problem. The better one's memory is, the better they can remember things like definitions. In fact, the definition of memory is simply the mental capacity of storing and retrieving facts, events, and experiences. Memory has the potential to be virtually limitless, but to achieve and retain that much information one must train their mind to do so. Like many other functions inside the body, memory has very distinct stages. The traditional three-stage memory model adequately explains how the three memory systems both work and differ from each other. These three stages include sensory, short-term, and long-term memory storage. Understanding how these three concepts of memory function will aid one in their life by allowing them to fully utilize and increase their mental cache and further their learning. The first stage of memory is the sensory stage, and rightly so, because anything that one encounters must first be recognized by the senses. Anything that one touches, tastes, smells, sees, or hears travels directly into their sensory memory. Sensory memory has a large capacity for information, which is very helpful when one is gathering vast amounts of information at a time. However, the disadvantage of sensory memory is that its duration is fleeting. At best, sensory memories last for only

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